Joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of France,
Germany and the UK on the activation of the snapback.
We, the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the United
Kingdom (the E3), continue to share the fundamental objective
that Iran shall never seek, acquire or develop a nuclear weapon.
With this objective in mind, our countries agreed first the Joint
Plan of Action (JPoA) in 2013 and subsequently the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) in 2015, together with the
United States, Russia and China. And it is due to Iran's
persistent and significant non-performance of its JCPoA
commitments that we triggered the snapback mechanism on 28 August
2025.
We welcome the re-instatement since 20:00 EDT (00:00 GMT) on 27
September 2025 of Resolutions 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006), 1747
(2007), 1803 (2008), 1835 (2008), and 1929 (2010) after
completion of the snapback process as provided for in UN Security
Council Resolution 2231. We urge Iran and all states to abide
fully by these resolutions.
These resolutions are not new: they contain a set of sanctions
and other restrictive measures that were previously imposed by
the UN Security Council and relate to Iran's proliferation
activities. Those measures were lifted by the Council in the
context of the JCPoA, at a time when Iran had committed to
ensuring its nuclear programme was exclusively peaceful. Given
that Iran repeatedly breached these commitments, the E3 had no
choice but to trigger the snapback procedure, at the end of which
those resolutions were brought back into force.
Since 2019, Iran has exceeded all limits on its nuclear programme
that it had freely committed to under the JCPoA. According to the
IAEA's report of 4 September 2025, Iran holds a quantity of
enriched uranium which is 48 times the JCPoA limit. Today, Iran's
stockpile is entirely outside of IAEA monitoring. This includes
10 ‘Significant Quantities' of High Enriched Uranium (HEU) – 10
times the approximate amount of nuclear material for which the
possibility of manufacturing a nuclear explosive device cannot be
excluded. Iran has no credible civilian justification whatsoever
for its HEU stockpile. No other country without a nuclear weapons
programme enriches uranium to such levels and at this scale.
Despite these long-standing violations, the E3 have continuously
made every effort to avoid triggering snapback, bring Iran back
into compliance and reach a durable and comprehensive diplomatic
resolution. We triggered the JCPoA's dispute resolution mechanism
in January 2020 as acknowledged by the JCPoA coordinator. In 2020
and 2021 we engaged in months of talks with the aim of fully
restoring the JCPoA and returning the United States to the deal.
Instead, Iran chose to reject two offers put on the table by the
JCPoA coordinator in 2022 and to further expand its nuclear
activities in clear breach of its JCPoA commitments.
In July 2025, we offered Iran a limited, one-time snapback
extension provided that Iran agreed to resume direct and
unconditional negotiations with the United States, return to
compliance with its legally binding safeguards obligations, and
address its high enriched uranium stockpile. These measures were
fair and achievable. Iran did not engage seriously with this
offer.
On 28 August, in view of Iran's continued nuclear escalation,
France, Germany and the United Kingdom initiated the “snapback”
mechanism as a last resort, in accordance with paragraph 11 of
Security Council Resolution 2231. This began a 30-day process
designed to give Iran an opportunity to address concerns over its
nuclear programme. Our snapback extension offer remained on the
table during that period.
Regrettably, Iran did not take the necessary actions to address
our concerns, nor to meet our asks on extension, despite
extensive dialogue, including during United Nations High-Level
Week. In particular, Iran has not authorised IAEA inspectors to
regain access to Iran's nuclear sites, nor has it produced and
transmitted to the IAEA a report accounting for its stockpile of
high-enriched uranium.
On 19 September, in accordance with UNSCR 2231, the Security
Council voted on a resolution that would have maintained
sanctions-lifting on Iran. The outcome of the vote was an
unambiguous no. This decision sent a clear signal that all states
must abide by their international commitments and obligations
regarding nuclear non-proliferation.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom are now focusing, as a
matter of urgency, on the swift reintroduction of restrictions
reapplied by these resolutions, in accordance with our
obligations as UN member states. We urge all UN member states to
implement these sanctions.
Our countries will continue to pursue diplomatic routes and
negotiations. The reimposition of UN sanctions is not the end of
diplomacy. We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory action and
to return to compliance with its legally binding safeguards
obligations. The E3 will continue to work with all parties
towards a new diplomatic solution to ensure Iran never gets a
nuclear weapon.
